Want future-proof skills? Abdullah shows life-long learning could be it.

Abdullah never had the answer to the time-old question, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" He was often focused on the more immediate needs and questions around him. When the war broke out in Syria, Abdullah and his family lost their home in Damascus.

And with widespread joblessness in the region, he was committed to taking any career that would provide a decent salary.

In 2013, Abdullah and his family moved to Istanbul to seek security and better opportunities.

Discovering the key to growth

At 15 years old, Abdullah landed his first job: "I was working as a Turkish-English-Arabic translator. I did like it, but I did not see myself doing it in the future."

Like many refugees, Abdullah could not think of the far future and committed himself to work that provided an income in the then and now. But, Abdullah was ambitious and always felt that his ability to pick things up quickly could be an asset.

Abdullah did not have the opportunity to go to university. But that didn't stop him from learning. "A self-learner is someone who learns anytime, anything, anywhere," Abdullah explains, describing his mindset in those early days.

Before long, Abdullah had learned English too, opening up more opportunities for himself: "I found that everything is in English these days, and most of the resources are in English, more English I learned, the easier things got."

Taking a chance

Abdullah learned of Re:Coded when a friend recognized Abdullah's characteristically strong desire for personal growth and learning in the course requirements.

A growth mindset is one of the first qualities Re:Coded bootcamps instill in students. And it seemed like Abdullah would fit right in.

"Re:Coded was providing the thing I wanted most: self-development and a set path, so I don't get confused." Abdullah applied to the Frontend Bootcamp and, before long, earned a spot in the upcoming class.

Learning more every day

“My plan is to keep learning and find a new job so I can use and improve the skills I gained," Abdullah shares. Like many bootcamp students, Abduallah will enter the tech job market with a technical qualification and soft skills training, but there's always more room to grow.

“I'm pursuing my dream by learning on a daily basis. By joining the Re:Coded Bootcamp, I'm halfway done getting there.”

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